abstains

verb

present tense third-person singular of abstain
as in refuses

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstains
  1. refuses
  2. rejects
  3. turns down
  4. hesitates
Verb
  • Even so, the 55-year-old refuses to talk about who could run Octopus after him, even with his board.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Aron refuses to forgive Adam for his lies about his mother, signs up for the Great War, and goes to his death.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of refuses
Verb
  • Fox calls the deaths tragic but rejects responsibility Covering any armed conflict by definition involves peril.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The series backs up 25 years to a Connecticut farm where father Cyrus Trask (Tracy Letts), a peg-legged Civil War veteran, rejects Charles’ gift of a new knife in favor of Adam’s present of a stray puppy, creating a long trail of jealousy.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejects
Verb
  • The candidate who turns down your offer doesn’t necessarily go on to repeat what was heard.
    — Jon Michail, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Pairing a floral sundress with a pair of white sneakers turns down the volume on the feminine formality, making the classic piece a bit less fussy.
    — Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 18 June 2026
Definition of turns down
Verb
  • Much of the film plays out in close-up as Alex watches, plays, thinks, hesitates.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • If an employee hesitates or overcommits, avoid making assumptions or asking defensive questions.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of hesitates
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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abstaining (from)
abstains
abstains (from)
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Cite this Entry

“Abstains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstains. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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